


The Also Rans

by AceQueenKing



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alcohol, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 20:06:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6391477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceQueenKing/pseuds/AceQueenKing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Miranda and Ashley are never going to be as good as Shepard, but that doesn't mean they can't try.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Also Rans

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ApocalypseThen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApocalypseThen/gifts).



"She's something, isn't she?" The dark haired woman on the other side of Shepard's ungodly large bar asks her. 

Miranda raises an eyebrow. She's not that familiar with Williams—she didn't ever quite remember much about the woman, not having met her beyond once. 

"I should think that's quite obvious." She pours herself another whiskey sour and tips it back, letting the alcohol burn her throat. "She's the reason we're all here, after all."

"I just mean..." Ashley's lips purse. It's a bit cute. "I'm not sure if we could do this without her."

"Well, we won't need to."

"Yeah, thanks to Cerberus." Ashley tips her own drink back—some kind of margarita, Miranda thinks, judging by the salt on the rim. "Guess that's one thing you did that was alright."

"I'm not with them anymore," Miranda says, pouring herself another drink.

"Yeah, well, you were when they resurrect her, right?"

"Yes." 

"Yeah, well, then...." Ashley trails off, focusing on taking another drink instead. 

"You're welcome," she says, more to fill the silence than anything else. "I suppose. But you were right, in the long run, about Cerberus."

"Yeah." Ash wrinkles her nose. "What ever made you want to join those freaks anyway?"

"They had my sister." She says softly. "I worked for them, and, in return, they kept her safe."

Ashley whistles. "Hell of a reason to work for terrorists."

She nods, not wanting to go into her history for someone who she has a passing acquaintance with at best. Williams focuses on her drink too, but Miranda doesn't mind: after matching wits with Jack and getting swung around the room a couple times by a laughing Shepard, a moment of reflection feels nice.

* * *

So does several shots of Asari honey mead, as it turns out. 

* * * 

"Guess I can excuse you." Ash says, putting her now empty glass down on the table. 

"Pardon?" She raises an eyebrow.

"For Cerberus." Ash flicks her head toward Shepard. "I'd join too, if they had Sarah, or Abby, or Lynn."

"Who?"

"My sisters." Ash pours another bit of whiskey into two shot glasses. "I'm the oldest and they're always -- "

"Getting in trouble." Miranda grabs one of the glasses and drinks it down.

"You oldest, too?"

"No." Miranda's mouth twitches. "But my older sisters didn't...survive."

"Shit," Ash says. "Sorry, uh..."

"Miranda." 

"Cerberus are a bunch of bastards," Ash says. 

She pours another glass, holds out some amber concoction out to Miranda.

"You deserve a drink."

* * * 

Miranda doesn't argue. 

* * * 

"God, I-I don't know why they made me a spectre," Ashley says, half-collapsed into the couch.

"You've done a lot for humanity," Miranda says, raising a hand lethargically. She's sure she's heard something of the spectre's record, but shes hard pressed to remember much about it. 

"I'm not bad," Ashley says, frowning. "But Shep's...She's so much better."

"She is amazing," Miranda agrees, slouching lower into the couch. "I have perfect genes and she's still better than me."

"Perfect? Shit." Ash groans, rubbing her face with her hands. 

Miranda nods and leans down her head spinning a bit too heavily to bother with keeping her head straight. 

They're both silent a moment. Ash glances toward Shepard, dancing with Jack in what has to be the most awkward version of a lap dance that she's ever seen.

"We've—we've got to be at least better dancers."

Ash looks at her, morose. "I don't think so."

"Oh, come—come on." Miranda grunts, uneasily slinging her legs over Ash's. "It's not that hard."

Ash puts a lazy hand on her hip. Her eyes watch as Miranda rises as falls above her. She notices Ash's eyes falling lower on her, and her hand dips slowly into the curve of Miranda's waist.

She glances over to Shepard and Jack; Jack simply flips her off as Shepard laughs and presses a kiss to Jack's cheek.

"You're better at that then Shepard," Ash murmurs. "Much better."

"Hm." Miranda leans forward. "You think so?"

Ash laughs and presses a kiss to her lips, and Miranda ignores the hooting the hollering from the Jack and Shepard.


End file.
